Potential
by AneiTsuki
Summary: She saw the potential in him most did not. She saw the secret glances shot her way, and the emotion the filtered unintentionally from his beautiful, burning orbs. He knew she knew his secret, the one he kept from everyone. They kept their secret hidden fr


Oooo...bad me...again. Well, at least it's only a oneshot this time and not another story. This thing has been in the works since...well, since before I started Prove Them Wrong. So, enjoy this ever-so-weird pairing that I have been laughing evilly about for the last few months. Don't take it the wrong way, though. Give this pairing a chance and you'll find it very odd. It probably should have been more detailed, but it's fine. I'll do a sequel if enough people want me to.

Disclaimer: I want my mystery character damnit! All I have is a sketch i drew of him T.T So, no, I don't own Inuyasha or any other anime. :goes off and cries in a corner:

oOo

She saw the potential in him most did not. She saw the secret glances shot her way, and the emotion the filtered unintentionally from his beautiful, burning orbs. He knew she knew his secret, the one he kept from everyone. They kept their secret hidden from everyone. Then, they were found out:

oOo

It was a gorgeous spring night, with the wind gently disturbing the leaves with its zephyr as the crescent moon shone above, glowing with an unearthly radiance. She knew better than to only see the surface. It was her gift. It was her curse. She saw the potential in things when others did not. She knew that the wind could pick up and race along, robbing the trees of the leaves that decorated them so prettily. As she thought of it, the wind picked up, swirling sakura blossoms around her frame. A fond smile reached her lips as she let the petals swirled around her, catching some in her hands. She was wearing a beautiful, silk, forest green kimono with red flame designs on the sleeves, neck, and bottom hem with a flame red obi.

"If only it could have been this way then…" she whispered inaudibly. Or so she thought.

"Perhaps it would have been, but perhaps it would not." She spun around on her heel, a little miffed at someone intruding upon her private moment.

"What would you know about it?" she asked softly.

"More than you would realize," he replied.

She nodded and slowly drifted towards one of the sakura trees, where she proceeded to have a seat.

"Have a seat?" she asked politely.

He did not answer, but came over anyway and sat down beside her. They sat in a companionable silence for a while before she spoke wistfully.

"I hate endings."

"Everything comes to and end sometime."

"True," she agreed. "But, that doesn't mean I have to like them."

"What do you hate about them?" he asked with barely concealed curiosity, as was his nature. She pondered for a moment, a hand reaching up to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. He watched her carefully out of the corner of his eye.

"I guess it is just that once something is over, there is nothing left. It's like giving up. I just want it to go on forever. Endings are just so sad."

"But don't beginnings always come with endings?"

"Not always. If the one series of events was your only chance, and it ends, there is nothing left for you. It is all just gone."

"Do you really feel as if that's true?"

She pondered for a moment.

"I suppose I do," she said slowly.

"When the door closes-"

"-a window opens," she finished for him. He glanced at her with mild surprise.

"Tell me about yourself, the _real_ you, the one you hide," he said. Companionable silence prevailed before at last she spoke.

"I-I don't have much to say about me. I'm pretty average. Nothing too wonderful."

"Don't let them make you think any lower of yourself. You are _far_ from average," he growled.

She looked over to him in amusement. "Now, is that in a good way or a bad one?"

He looked a little uncomfortable with the topic. "…good…"

She looked at him in mock astonishment. "Awww…a compliment."

"What do you expect? I don't get much of a chance any other time."

"Mou…no need to be mean now."

"You know me better than that, onna," he said playfully.

"That I do."

She sat quietly, watching the leaves and sakura petals float on the wind and rustle along the ground. The wind caught the lock of hair tucked behind her ear and blew it into her face. She stared at it, cross-eyed, irritably. Before she could reach up to tame it, a hand came over from her companion and tucked gently behind her ear. A small smile crossed her face as she leaned a little towards her companion.

"What do you think our friends would say if they knew who we really were?"

"They would think that you were crazy."

She let out a small laugh. "That's true. I don't see what's so wrong about it though."

"They don't see the world like we do. All they see is what's right in front of their face. The potential is lost to them because they are to blind to see it."

"That's true too. Like when I first saw you. I saw someone that was hiding who and what they really were. I saw…you. The real you, not the one you present to the world. The façade that everyone else sees. It was nice to see that inner you that comes out so rarely to play."

His intense, guarded eyes softened noticeably. He loved how she trusted him so much, and was so naïve to some aspects of life, while too exposed to others. "It's also like the first time I saw you. Where others would have seen a weak, helpless girl, I saw someone as pure as a rose and strong as a warrior. No matter what anyone else says to you, you are always my little spitfire. Delicate, yet unbreakable. And watch out for the burn."

She had been enraptured by how he spoke about her, but the last comment had placed an indignant look on her face as he looked down on her from his burning orbs. They stared at each other and slowly were inching closer to each other. Their lips were about to touch when the worst possible interruption occurred.

"How could you!"

The two snapped their heads up, with her blushing from their previous position and stood up.

"I said 'How. Could. You."

"You mean 'how could you,' Inuyasha?" she said. Her tone was as frigid as her companion's and he looked down at her from his height. He stood almost a head taller than her when they stood as they were now. He looked at her with a glint of admiration in his eyes.

"Who's that behind you, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"Can you not tell?" he said.

Auburn hair. Emerald eyes.

"Who _is_ that?"

"Baka hanyou. You know who I am, or rather who I pretend to be."

"Huh? A kitsune?"Inuyasha said after sampling the air.

"Yes, and he happens to be a close friend of mine, baka."

"What's his name?"

The kitsune spoke up this time. "Shippou Enkou, Shi for short, at your service, or not considering you smell of death."

Inuyasha started growling, although his eyes were wide with disbelief. He looked so different. He was taller than Inuyasha with dark auburn hair and glowing emerald eyes. His ears remained pointed, but his deep auburn tail had grown longer 'till it almost touched the ground and became silky He was wearing deep black hakama and haori with red kitsune designs on them. A sword was strapped across his back from his left shoulder to his right side. Kagome and Shi perfectly complimented each other somehow. "That's not Shippou. He's a runt!"

"Sit boy!"

He slammed into the ground and Shi's eyes danced in amusement.

"How did you meet him? I don't know him, he can't possibly be Shippou" Inuyasha said after he got up.

"Of course you know him.. He's the one that stole Tetsusaiga and taunted you with it until I made him give it back. That was the time we left him at Kaede's, but he got bored and wanted some fun. And I met him like this after I caught you and your undead mate together. He's the one that showed me the truth."

"Oh, now I remember. You're the bastard that I want to kill so badly. Kagome is mine. My turf. My bitch. Now, get away from her."

Before Kagome could sit him to hell, back, and to hell again, Shi stood up for her.

"You don't even deserve to speak her name," he said in a deadly, frigid tone.

"Try to stop me, weakling." Shi growled at Inuyasha's statement.

"You don't want to mess with me mutt. I'm a well known mercenary and assassin. Your group interested me so I set up the incident with the Thunder Brothers. However, I didn't plan on them murdering my brother. Yup, that wasn't my father, but my brother. But the Thunder Brother's got theirs in the end."

"So you tricked us?" Inuyasha said.

"That's a nasty way to put it," Shi replied, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Inuyasha, he's a kitsune. This was a game for him. How long could he keep up the guise of being a child. Although, he _was _a bit too perverted with his comments. And he bathed with Sango and I, so once I found out, he got what was coming to him." Kagome playfully glared as she remembered when she first discovered that Shi was Shippou.

oOoFlashbackoOo

Kagome sadly walked through the woods. She had just caught Inuyasha and Kikyou professing their love, which was followed by them…mating. Thankfully, Kagome had left with disgust written on her face before things had heated up to much. She sighed as she walked with her head down. She made her way to a meadow in a clearing with a sakura tree in the middle. She gasped at the beauty, her mood brightening at the wondrous sight.

She walked up to the sakura tree and sat down, breathing in the delicate fragrance. She merely sat their, enjoying nature until her peace was disturbed by an unfamiliar voice.

"May I sit with you?" a tenor voice asked. Kagome looked up sharply in surprise.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You know who I am," he replied back calmly.

Kagome gasped. "You're the one that stole Tetsusaiga."

He pouted slightly and grumbled, "I gave it back, didn't I?"

She giggled. "Yes, you did."

"So, Kagome, what are you doing out here all by your lonesome self?"

"I'll answer if you tell me your name since you so obviously know mine."

He looked nervous for a second and Kagome noticed. "Shi," he said finally.

"Well, _Shi_, I'm out here because the traitorous hanyou you stole Tetsusaiga from is currently have a good time with his undead mate."

"Oh. Are you in love with this hanyou?"

"Why do you ask?"

He smiled slyly, a fang peeking over his lip. Kagome thought it made him look very hot.

"We kitsunes are curious by nature."

"Well then, no. And I really think I never did."

"Good for you. The mutt seems annoying."

"Uh-huh. Well, I have to get going back to my group." She stood up, and so did he. Before she walked off, she smacked him upside his head. Hard. "That's for bathing with Sango and I, baka. You'd better get back to camp, _Shippou_." She giggled and kissed him on his cheek. "And that's for helping me out tonight." She ran back to camp, leaving him standing their with his mouth hanging open. He was quickly brought back to reality.

"Kagome! Wait up." He ran after her, putting up his illusion of a child on the way.

oOoEnd FlashbackoOo

"Kagome, whatcha doin'? You're eyes got a far away look in them. Whatcha' thinking' 'bout?" Shi said.

Kagome giggled a little before answering, "The time I found out that you were Shippou."

"Yeah, good times. I still wonder why you weren't angry at me."

"Well, I was a little mad that you couldn't tell us, plus you would have made a wonderful fighting addition to the group."

"That's Kagome for you. Always thinking about the group, never about herself."

"Plus," Kagome continued with a mock glare, "I felt something off about you since we met you. Somewhere deep down, I think I already knew."

"Sorry to interrupt the _moment_ and all, but I am still standing right here," Inuyasha said looking angry, impatient, and pissed off.

"Oh, shut it, mutt. You should go where you're wanted. In hell with your lover. Kagome is not your turf, so you should stay away from her."

"Keh. Of course she's my turf. I found her first, therefore she's mine."

"She didn't consent."

"So? She doesn't have to. It's not against youkai law."

"Well, if you know so much about youkai law, then why don't you give me the guidelines of staking a claim?"

"Sure. Your scent has to be the most prevailant on what ever you are claiming and you have to fight any contenders for your claim, but only if your scents are equal on whatever you were claiming."

"Then, why don't you take a wiff of Kagome here?"

Inuyasha delicately lifted up his nose and scented the air as a zephyr blew her scent towards him. He checked Kagome out as he did so. He didn't really like the colors of the runt being on her,but it complimented her features and Inuyasha had to restrain himself from licking his lips at Kagome's figures. He didn't notice the ever-so-small twitch that wasn't really small at all. Shi noticied and looked at her curiously, before his face turned to a look of rage. Inuyasha heard the warning growl, shrugged, and got back to business. He smelled her natural scent of moonflowers and fire, his own scent of a pine forest, and, to his outrage, a smoky scent of burning wood and magic overriding his own scent! He had lost his stake on Kagome.

"That's right, Inuyasha. Your scent is not the strongest on me, therefore Shi wins, and I win. Now, go back to your clay pot before she gets wet and melts." Kagome turned her back on Inuyasha and started walking away from him, knowing that Shi would follow her.

As soon as Shi turned around, Inuyasha ran as fast as he could to behind Kagome, grabbed her shoulders roughly, and attempted to bite her neck, staking a mate claim. To his dismay, there was one already there. He really had lost… .

"Stay away from me Inuyasha." Kagome's eyes glowed silver and Inuyasha was pushed back to a far tree.

"What? Did you expect me to not be able to defned myself? You thought very, _very_, wrong. My miko powers, combined with the will of the Shikon, granted me the gifts of telepathy, telekinesis, and immortality, so I can protect the jewel always and live with my mate." Kagome shot a tender glance towards Shi.

"What do you mean, you slut, the Shikon isn't complete, even with Naraku destroyed!"

"You're so simple-mided, Inuyasha. Let's have a little lesson, shall we? Now, what part of Midoriko was the Shikon created from?"

"Her heart,duh."

"Okay then. That would basically mean that she was born with the Shikon in her body, meaning that she _was_ the Shikon. Now, who else do we know that was born with the Shikon in her body?"

"You."

"Exactly. Meaning…?"

"…"

Kagome sighed. "It means that I _am_ the Shikon. The jewel is just a physical manifestation to make us have a quest and for me to meet my soul mate. It has been searching for a true guardian."

"And that's Kikyou!"

"No, Inuyasha, it's not. Kikyou was not born with the jewel in her body. The jewel was created by Midoriko and it now resides in me. My soul was the only other besides Midoriko's that was strong enough to hold the power of the jewel and Midoriko's is stick in the jewel, therefore only leaving me."

"Sure. You just want to believe that your stronger than Kikyou, bitch."

"Inuyasha, name the strongest thing that Kikyou could do."

"Shoot lots of power filled arrows."

"What's something that she could never do that was possible for other, stronger miko to do?"

"She _is_ strong. But, she hadn't yet been able to shoot power out of her hands."

"Okay then, watch." Kagome turned to a weak oni that had snuck up on her while she was talking. She quickly purified it with a simple blast of power from her palms that she performed with ease.

"Now what do you think, Inuyasha?"

"Keh."

"He's not going to get the idea, Kagome. He's too dense."

"It was still worth it."

Kagome walked over to Shi and softly leaned against him, drawing upon his support. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Go back to your mate, Inuyasha. Mine needs to sort things out."

"Keh, whatever. Just make sure the bitch is back at camp in the morning." Inuyasha's eyes softened as he looked upon Kagome's form. "And take care of her," Inuyasha said so softly that Kagome didn't hear, leaping into the woods, going back to his mate.

"I will."

"You will what?" Kagome asked, her voice muffled by Shippou's chest.

"Oh, nothing."

Kagome lifted her face up. "Tell me."

"No."

"Tell m-" Kagome was cut off by Shi's lips pressing gently against hers.

oOo

And to think, if Kagome had not seen the potential that Shippou, or Shi, had held, she might have never found her soul mate, her yang to her yin. If he had not stopped for a moment and seen how much she had interested him and ignited his curiosity, he may have never known that she was his soul mate, his missing part. So, perhaps, seeing what isn't directly in front of you can have a great influence on your future, and your destiny.

oOo

So, did you like it? Hate it? Want a sequel?

Well, if you want a sequel, then I suggest putting ideas in the review that you will be so kind as to give me. :sniggers:

Anyway, give me honest feedback about this pairing. I don't care if it's flames or whatever, just don't be ignorant. Ignorance annoys me to NO END!

Well, I'm off to work on DoaP (Destiny of a Prophecy, but yes I do pronounce it as dope) Chap. 5 and PTW (Prove Them Wrong) Chap. 2.

Ja, ato de! And remember to review!

aneitsuki


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